Reversible ratchet wrench



Oct. 18, 1932. J. 5. DODGE REVERS IBLE RATCHET WRENCH Filed May 8, 1931 13 31s 10 is lnvenToT. John 8. Dodge byfwwwkm AiTys.

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 JOHN S. DODGE, OF IAXT'ON, MASSACHUSETTS REVERSIBLE RATOHET WRENCH Application filed May 8, 1931. Serial No. 535,951.

This invention relates to reversible ratchet wrenches and similar ratchet tools and has for one of its objects to provide a novel single pawl reversible ratchet tool which is so constructed that the strains on the pawl and the teeth of the socket member will be in the na: ture of thrust strains rather than shearing strains.

Other objects are to provide improvements in single pawl reversible ratchet tools which will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have shown it as applied to a ratchet wrench and have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a single pawl reversible ratchet wrench embodying my in: vention with the pawl set for turning the nut in one direction;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view with parts broken out illustrating the pawl in reversed position for turning the nut in the opposite direction;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3'3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line- 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional iew illustrating the position. of the parts just before the pawl is reversed.

The ratchet wrench herein illustrated comprises the usual socket-receiving head por-' tion 1 in which is rotatably mounted the 5 usual socket 2 and the handle portion 3 by which the wrench is manipulated. The handle portion 3 and head portion 1 may be made integral with each other or may be made of separate parts which are permanently and rigidly united or connected together to make a rigid structure. v

The head portion 1 is provided with the usual cylindrical socket-receiving recess 4 in which the socket 2' is received, said socket having the usual nut-receiving opening 5* and being provided on its periphery with the teeth or projections 6. This socket member 2 is removably carried bythe head I as 5 usual in ratchet wrenches of this type and it is retained in'place by the removable cover plate 7 which is of usual construction and i which is held in position by screws 8.

The parts thus far described may have the construction usually found in reversible ratchet wrenches.

In myimproved wrench there is, a single pawl indicated at 9 which co-operates with the teeth 6 of the socket member in turning the nut or bolt to which the socket is applied in one direction or the other as the handle 3 is pumped back and forth. This single pawl 9 is so constructed that the strain thereon inturning the socket member 2 is a thrust strain as distinguished from a shearing strain. pawl 9 is in the direction of its length and the manner in which the pawl engages the teeth of the socket member 2 is such that all shearing strains oneither the pawl or the teeth are eliminated.

The pawl 9 is carried by a pawl-carrying member 10, herein shown as a cylindrical. element which is mounted for rotative movement ina recess 11 which is formed in the head member 1 and which communicates at one end with the socket-receiving opening 4 and which extends in the direction of the. handle member 3. The pawl-carrying member 10 seats and finds bearing against the bottom or end wall 12 of the recess 11.

The pawl 9 is provided at its outer end with a cylindrical bearing portion 13 which is received in a cylindrical seat 14 with which the pawl-carrying member 10" is provided, said seat extending transversely of the pawl.- carrying member 10 and preferably substantially centrally thereof. The pawl 9 is so shaped that the median line extending longitudi-nally of the .body of the pawl is offset I from the center of the cylindrical bearing portion 13', or,.in other words, so that the axis of the cylindrical portion l3 is out of line with the median longitudinal line of the pawl.

The pawl presents a flat tooth-engaging surface 15 at its end which is adapted to engage flatly against one of the side faces of any ofthe teeth 6. I

The pawl is a spring-pressed pawl, it being acted upon'by a spring which normally holds 100 In other words, the strain on the 65 therefore, a thrust strain.

it in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but which permits it to yield backwardly to allow it to click over the teeth 6 as the wrench is operated.

Any suitable spring device may be employed. In the construction illustrated the spring is indicated at 17 and it is in the nature of a coil spring situated in a spring-receiving recess 16 formed in the pawl-carrying member 10 and acting against a follower 18, the end of which enters a notch 19 formed in the bearing portion 13 of the pawl and engages the wall 20 of the notch. v

The pawl-carrying member 10 is capable of being turned in the recess 11 to place the pawl either in the position shown in Fig. 1 or in the position shown in Fig. 2. A turning movement of the pawl carrier through 180 will serve to reverse the pawl. While any suitable way of turning this pawl-carrying member thus to reverse the pawl may be employed I have herein shown a construction whereby this reversing movement may be accomplished from the end of the handle.

The pawl-carrying member 10 has a rod 21 rigid therewith which extends through the handle portion 3 and is provided at its outerend with a knurl 22 that is accessible at the end of the handle and by which the rod 21 and consequently the pawl-carrying member 10 may be turned.

The handle portion 3 is shown as having a central bore 23 somewhat larger than the stem or rod 21 and the knurl 22 is formed with a hub 24 which finds bearing in the end of the handle 3.

Means are also provided for yieldingly holding the pawl-carrying member 10 in either adjusted position. The construction illustrated for this purpose comprises two spring-pressed balls 25 which are located in recesses 26 formed in the head portion land which are adapted to engage in notches or recesses 27 formed in the pawl-carrying member 10. I

The springs which act on these balls are indicated at 28 and they are retained in the recess by suitable screw-threaded plugs 29 which are screwed into the open ends of the recesses. These spring-pressed balls permit the pawl-carrying member 10 to rotate and when it arrives at either of the positions shown they click into the recesses 27 and thus yieldingly hold the pawl-carrying member in the proper position.

With the construction above described it will be seen that the strain on the pawl 9 due to the operation of the wrench is in the direction of the length of the pawl and is, Furthermore, since the pawl has the cylindrical bearing portion 13 which rests in the cylindrical seat portion 14 and said pawl-carrying member rests flatly against the shoulder 12 the strain to which the pawl and pawl-carrying member are subjected is entirely a thrust strain.

The wrench is, therefore, stronger and will withstand heavier strain than if the pawl or the teeth of the socket member were subjected to a shearing strain when the wrench is used.

In order to reverse the pawl it is desirable to first back the pawl off slightly as shown in Fig. 5 before turning the pawl-carrying memberlO.

When the pawl-carrying member 10 is turned after the pawl has been slightly backed off the end of said pawl will wipe underthe toothwhioh engages the side face of the pawl i. e., the tooth 6a in Fig. 5, and when the pawl-carrying member has completed the half rotation the pawl will snap into place on the other side of said tooth 6a. In thus reversing the pawl it is carried from one notch 30 of the socket member 2 into the i next notch.

The sides of the pawl 9 are shown as rounded slightly as indicated at 31 in Fig. This shape of pawl facilitates the reversing operation because when the pawl is backed off slightly as shown in Fig. 5 the rounded edges permit it to pass freely under the point of the tooth 60!. as the pawl-carrying member is turned through this 180 movement. While I have described the invention as applied to a ratchet wrench yet it will be understood that it is equally applicable to other tools which have a handle provided with a head having a socket-receiving recess and a toothed socket or work-engaging member rotatively mounted in said socket-receiving recess and provided with a pawl-and-ratchet connection with the head.

I claim:

1. A ratchet tool having a head portion provided with a socket-receiving recess, a handle portion rigid with the head portion, a toothed socket in said recess, said head portion having a cylindrical pawl-receiving recess communicating at one end with the socket-receiving recess and extending in the direction of the length of the handle, the opposite end of said pawl-receiving recess forming a supporting abutment, a cylindrical pawl-carrying member mounted in said recess for turning movement and seated on said abutment, said pawl-carrying member being provided at its exposed end with a transversely-extending cylindrical seat, a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the socket member and having a cylindrical bearing portion at its outer end whichrests in said seat, said pawl having a tooth-engaging face situated substantially at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the pawl, whereby the strain to which the pawl is subjected in the operation of the tool is a thrust strain as distinguished from a shearing strain and is transmitted to the pawl-carrying member and resisted by said supporting abutment, and means to turn the pawl-supporting member to reverse the pawl.

2. Aratchettoolhaving a head portion provided with a socket-receiving recess, a handle portion rigid with the head portion, a toothed socket in said recess, said head portion having a cylindrical pawl-receiving recess communieating at one end with the socket-receiving recess and extending in the direction of the length of the handle, the opposite end of said pawl-receiving recess forming a supporting abutment, a cylindrical pawl-carrying member mounted in said recess for turning movement about its axis and seated on said abutment, said pawl-carrying member being provided at its exposed end with a transverselyextending cylindrical seat, a pawl co-operating with the teeth of the socket member and having a cylindrical bearing portion at its outer end which rests in said cylindrical seat, said cylindrical bearing portion being formed with a recess in its periphery presenting a radial shoulder, and said pawl-carrying member having a spring-receiving recess, a spring in said spring-receiving recess, and a follower interposed between the spring and said radial shoulder, said spring acting to yieldingly hold the pawl in engagement with the toothed socket and said pawl having a tooth-engaging face situated substantially at right angles to the lengthwise direction of the pawl, whereby the strain to which the pawl is subjected in the operation of the tool is a thrust strain as distinguished from a shearing strain and is transmitted to the pawl-carrying member and resisted by said supporting abutment, and means to turn the pawl-supporting member to reverse the pawl.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN S. DODGE. 

